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Do black lives really matter?

Do black lives REALLY matter?
We’ve all seen the t-shirts and heard the mantra that accompanies the protests and dots the Facebook news feeds of the well meaning, the cop blockers, and the generally misinformed; Black Lives Matter.

Well, I am a black person and as such, I find this statement misleading and patronizing. Since the whole Mike Brown media circus brought this about, I have continuously pondered the question, since when did black lives truly matter to these people?

What this movement needs, is a vetting process that separates those who truly care from those who are simply buying into the latest trend or looking for yet another excuse to point a [middle] finger at authorities.

As such, I would like to pose some honest questions to those who would fly the flag “black lives matter.”

When did black lives start to matter to you? Before you tell me “they always have” I would like to know the following:

– IF black lives matter to you: Why aren’t you volunteering in schools or organizations so black children can have access to mentors or caring adults? Why aren’t you providing a shoulder to cry on, a hand to hold, or an ear to listen? Why aren’t you giving them something to turn to besides a criminal lifestyle. Why aren’t you showing these children love instead of the people who pretend to love them so they use them?

– IF black lives matter to you: Why are you attacking the few teachers willing to work in predominantly black schools and not attacking the school curriculum that teaches black youth that the highlight of their history is being freed from southern slavery or being saved from Jim Crow? Why aren’t you complaining that black history is so focused on the civil rights movement but ignores black contributions to the whole world? Why aren’t you demanding to know about Charles Drew (inventor of the modern blood bank), Garret Morgan (inventor of the traffic signal and gas masks), Daniel Hale Williams (pioneer of open heart surgery), or George Washington Carver (inventor and genius)? Why aren’t you demanding their achievements be taught alongside those of Albert Einstein and Thomas Edison?

If black history really mattered to you, why are you OK with being taught blacks have been nothing but victims throughout history. Why aren’t you demanding to know about the great black leaders such as King Shaka Zulu, Tousaint LOverture, and Hannibal Barca. Why aren’t you demanding to learn more about the achievements of Frederick Douglas or the Black Governors who led prosperously during the reconstruction period? Why does George Lucas ‘care’ more about the Tuskegee Airmen than you do?

Why are you so sympathetic for the blacks who have contributed to tearing the country apart instead of lifting up the ones who helped build it?

– IF black lives matter to you: Why do you support music and media that promotes negative stereotypes. Why do you buy the music that degrades our women and promotes gang violence. There are many talented black artists and actors who create meaningful and entertaining art, yet don’t get a shot at fame. They are suppressed by a greedy media who would rather accept your money and reinforce the image that blacks are thugs, sex mongers, drug abusers , and ignorant. If you truly care about blacks, why do you raise up Lil Wayne, Iggy Izaela, Young Jeezy, and Nikki Minaj who’ve contributed literally nothing positive to the black image? There are countless actors, hip-hop, country, jazz, rock, and r&b artists who are black and promote growth, knowledge, and positivity in the black community. Why don’t you find and support their products?

– IF black lives matter to you: Why didn’t you protest the deaths of Terrence Avery Green. Robert Wilson III, Brennan Rabain, Josie Wells, and several other black men murdered in 2015? Was it because they were law enforcement officers? I don’t remember the the hashtag saying #blacklivesmatter,unless theyre cops.

– IF black lives matter to you: Why aren’t you demanding black fathers stay in their sons’ and daughters’ lives so they don’t feel the need to turn to gangs, drugs, and prostitution. Why aren’t you demanding black moms on welfare be a better example to their children and find meaningful employment, go to school, and break the cycle? Why haven’t you volunteered to help them do this?

– IF black lives matter to you: Why do you continue to indulge and condone the gang culture that has claimed more young black lives than all of the wars and police shootings have, combined? How can you chant black lives matter over the death of a criminal who pointed a gun at police and not chant it over an innocent 9 year old girl who was shot in a drive by a block away. Why haven’t you protested ANY of the innocent children in the last year who have died by a gang banger’s stray bullet?

– IF black lives matter to you: Why do you continue to buy into a national news system who at one moment portrays blacks as thugs, rapists, and killers, then the next moment portrays blacks as unwitting victims of an oppressive system. Why drink the koolaid?

– IF black lives matter to you: Why has it taken the justified police shooting of an apparent criminal and not the thousands upon thousands of black deaths due to aids, heart disease, diabetes, gang violence, abortions, cancer, and despair to get your attention?

I’ve asked myself these questions and have taken action on many of them. Why? Because black livesDO matter to me and it’s going to take a lot more than anti cop rhetoric, political pandering, and a catchy hashtag to save those lives.

Do black lives really matter to you? My guess is, the vast majority of you who continue carry on the #blacklivesmatter mantra don’t really care. My guess is, it’s either a fad for you, you think you’re helping but are unwilling to explore the actual root of the problem, or you’re simply using this as a vehicle for your own pre-existing anti-cop sentiment. Either way, as a black person, I’ve had enough pandering and patronizing from you. Either help out or don’t, just stop saying black lives matter unless your willing to do something useful to save them.

No one hates the police–but there are good ones and also bad ones.. How can a twelve year old boy playing in the park with a toy gun be shot in 30 seconds because he looked 20? The police ask you for your license and registration and when you reach for it you are shot because he feared for his life.. You are trying to protect a mentally challenged young man and you are lying in the streets with your hands up with your legs wrapped around his body to protect him shouting out who you are and you are shot because the cop felt his life I danger…This is just the tipoff the issue-these are not thugs as you say by law abiding people who are middle and upper class but are black and not viewed the same as white people.. There is an issue and it needs to be addressed.. Everyone is not cut out to be a policeman those who have issue by constantly being involved in citizen complains or shooting people should not be shifted from one location to another they should be fired and not allowed to wear the uniform again. They make the good police look bad..

Great words of wisdom! You make some excellent points, we all need to start caring about each other and stop singling each other out for the color of our skin. Sometimes i think people only want to be segregated when it benefits them.

I am black and I am taking a African American course to better understand my/black history. there was a lot of stuff in this reading I was never exposed to growing up or even knew to this day. saying black lives matter is a crutch for most but black MINES matter the most and we must PASS on this LOVE and acknowledgement to our communities so they can WAKE UP…